Plow truck equipment



Jan. 21, 1969 GABEL 7 3,422,552

PLOW TRUCK EQUIPMENT Filed Nov. 25. 1966 INVENTOR Lew/5 O'ael United States Patent 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Provided on a truck with a front snow-plowing blade is a plate. which on one side of the truck is projectible into and retractable from a position in which to form with the blade a V-like snow pocket open in forward direction of the truck.

This invention relates to snow-plowing equipment in general, and to snow-plowing vehicles in particular.

The vehicles with which the present invention is concerned are of the truck variety used for plowing public roads in cities or other municipalities as well as in the open. Thus, plow trucks are used virtually everywhere in plowing streets and highways, and they have the characteristically inclined plow blades for pushing the encountered snow ahead and simultaneously deflect it to the side of streets or highways where it is left to melt or for subsequent removal in more important traflic arteries primarily in cities. While these plow trucks perform entirely satisfactory in many respects, they leave much to be desired in a single, but important respect. Thus, the customary manner in which these plow trucks are operated is to proceed straight on any given street or road past all side streets or roads, with the snow being piled indiscriminately all the way, including at the intersections of these streets or roads. It is thus at these very intersections where snow is piled higher than on side streets or roads, much to the annoyance of drivers who can or could proceed on these side arteries before they are subsequently plowed, if ever, but who find in the piled-high snow at the intersections an obstacle which to surmount might require exceptional driving skill that, moreover, does not always succeed and compel a driver to shovel his or her stuck vehicle out of the snow in order to proceed. Also, to cross these intersections under these circumstances involves exceptional risks of collision with another vehicle or vehicles at these intersections. Moreover, crossing vehicles at these intersections cause the piled-up snow to melt into particularly deep slush which, to say the least, is most annoying to pedestrians in cities and other communities. Of course, similar annoying conditions prevail where private driveways lead to streets or roads thus plowed.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide for plow trucks equipment with which to avoid pileup of plOWed snow at the intersections of streets and roads without in any way slowing down the trucks and without appreciably adding to the drivers tasks involved in operating the trucks, with this equipment to be, moreover, of simple construction and exceedingly low cost and also readily installable on existing plow trucks.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such truck equipment in the form of an auxiliary blade which is carried on the side of a truck to which snow is plowed and extends longitudinally of the truck, and which is under the drivers control movable into active and inactive positions in which the same forms with the trucks inclined plow blade a V-shaped snow pocket open to the front and is out of reach of snow being plowed aside by the plow blade, respectively. With this arrangement, it is within the drivers control to move the auxiliary blade to its active position on intersections in order to trap and carry along the encountered snow in the afore- 3,422,552 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 mentioned snow pocket rather than permit it to be piled over the intersections, and to move the auxiliary blade to its inactive position at all other times for normal snow push-aside performance of the plow blade.

It is a further object of the present invention to arrange for movability of the aforementioned auxiliary blade on a truck to its active and inactive positions by power reciprocation of the same longitudinally of the truck, with the auxiliary blade extending in its active and inactive positions forwardly and rearwardly of the trucks plow blade, respectively. With this arrangement, the auxiliary blade is in either of its positions as non-obstructive to the truck drivers view as is the plow blade, and a simple cylinder and piston will, at least pressure of the operating medium therefor, readily advance the auxiliary blade to its active position with its leading edge encountering only moderate resistance from the snow.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for the aforementioned reciprocable auxiliary blade a sturdy support which is readily mountable on the snowpiling side of any plow truck and affords for this reciprocable blade a guide of adequate strength and extent to hold the blade in, and permit its non-binding reciprocation into, either of its positions, even under the heaviest side thrust from snow in its active position. This is achieved by providing the support and auxiliary blade with complemental guide interfaces which are adequate overlap and length for the purpose and readily provided behind the plow blade Without obstructing usual access to the truck.

A further object of the present invention is to provide for ready mounting of the aforementioned support for the auxiliary blade, with its rear end on the sturdy famewok of a plow truck and with its front end preferably directly on the plow blade at its usually once-set inclination. With this arrangement, the mount of the support requires but a minimum area of sturdy framework of a truck which is readily available and also accessible for the purpose on any truck, yet the support and guide provisions thereon for the auxiliary blade may advantageously be of quite considerable length, with the support being, moreover, mounted with particular firmness relative to the plow blade by being directly attached thereto with its front end.

It is another object of the present invention to provide the aforementioned operating cylinder for the auxiliary blade preferably and advantageously as a double-acting cylinder, with flexible conduit connections leading from the opposite cylinder ends to a simple, preferably two-position, control valve which is readily operated by the truck driver in his compartment, with the operating fluid for the cylinder being furnished from any special source or from any source which in some trucks is already provided for another purpose. With such an arrangement, operation of the auxiliary blade under such ready control by the truck driver is indicated at every intersection and even across any private driveway which leads to a street or road being plowed without in the least slowing down the plow truck or requiring the driver to perform a task which appreciably adds to his other tasks in operating the truck.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide for additional secure mount of the auxiliary blade in its active position against effective binding stresses in its guide on the support under the side thrust from a heavy trapped snow load. This is achieved by providing a tie rod which with one end is pivotally connected with the forward end of the auxiliary blade and has with its other end a simple floating pivot connection with the plow blade, with this floating pivot connection in no wise interfering movement of the auxiliary blade into its active and inactive positions, but the tie rod being in the active position of the auxiliary blade at one end of this floating pivot connection at which it locks the auxiliary blade against any give under the side thrust from a trapped snow load.

Further objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a plow truck embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side View of the plow truck;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary top and side views of the same plow truck under diiferent operating conditions; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section through the plow truck taken substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral designates a snow-plowing vehicle, and more particularly a plow truck having the usual framework 12. Secured to the truck, and more particularly to the front bumper 14 thereof, in conventional manner as at 16 is a plow blade 18 which is locked in one of several adjustable inclined positions. With driving being customarily on the right Side of streets and roads, the plow blade 18 is inclined to deflect plowed snow off the blade and pile it on the right side of the street or road which conforms with the right side 20 of the truck.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided on the right side of the truck an auxiliary blade 22 which is in the form of a sturdy, preferably plane, plate that is movable into active and inactive positions. This plate 22 is in its active position in erect disposition and projects forwardly of the plow blade 18 in substantial parallelism with the truck axis x, so as form with the plow blade a V-like snow pocket 24 (FIGS. 3 and 4), and this plate 22 is in its inactive position (FIGS. 1 and 2) out of reach of plowed snow being deflected from the plow blade 18 and piled to the right of the truck. The plate 22 is carried by the truck through intermediation of a support 26 on which the plate 22 is suitably mounted for operational movement into its active and inactive positions. Operational movement of the plate 22 into its active and inactive positions is in this instance, and also preferably and advantageously, reciprocatory movement parallel to the truck axis x, with the plate being in all positions in erect or vertical disposition with some clearance from the ground G which may be like or similar to the ground clearance of the plow blade 18. The support 26 provides to this end a guideway 28 in which the plate 22 is constrained against movement in any direction except reciprocation parallel to the truck axis x, and the support 26 is, in turn, suitably mounted on the truck on its right side. More particularly, the support 26 is in this instance a heavy dove-tail guide plate (see also FIG. 5) having a rear lug extension 30 with which it is pivotally mounted at 32 to the framework 12 of the truck, and having in this instance also an inclined front lug extension 34 with which it is preferably and advantageously mounted directly on the plow blade 18 as at 36. The plate 22 has in this instance spaced gibs 38 which cooperate with the guide formation 40 on the support 26 to form an exemplary dove-tail guide for the plate 22.

The plate 22 may be moved into its active and inactive positions by any suitable power device which preferably is controlled by the truck driver when operating the truck while in the driver compartment 42 thereof. This power device is in this instance, and also preferably, a double-acting cylinder 44 and a piston 46, with the cylinder 44 being preferably pivotally mounted at 48 on a side lug 50 on the support 26, and the piston 46 being with its rod 52 secured at 54 to a side lug 56 on the plate 22. The cylinder 44 is at its opposite ends connected with suitable conduits 58 and 60 through which to admit and exhaust operating fluid into and from the respective cylinder ends. The conduits 58 and 60 are through intermediation of a suitable control valve connectible with any suitable source of operating fluid under pressure (neither shown), with the valve being preferably a two-position valve within ready operating reach of the truck driver in his compartment 42. Thus, on manipulating the valve into one position, operating fluid may be admitted into and exhausted from the right and left ends, respectively, of the cylinder (FIG. 2) with ensuing retraction of the plate 22 to its inactive position. Conversely, on manipulating the valve into its other position, operating fluid will be admitted into and exhausted from the left and right ends, respectively, of the cylinder (FIG. 4) withensuing advance of the plate 22 into its active position.

In operation of the truck the same will proceed on the right side of a street or road, with either being referred to hereinafter as a roadway for the sake of brevity. While the truck thus proceeds on the roadway without encountering an intersection with another roadway the plate 22 will be in its inactive position (FIGS. 1 and 2) to permit the plow blade to pile or dump the snow it encounters on the right side of the roadway in usual manner. However, as the truck approaches and is about to reach an intersection, the driver will manipulate the described control valve to advance the plate 22 into its active position (FIGS. 3 and 4) so that on crossing the intersection the continuously plowed snow will pile up and become trapped in the described snow pocket 24 (FIG. 3), with no snow being piled into the intersection. As soon as the truck clears the intersection the driver will manipulate the described control valve to cause retraction of the late 22 into its inactive position (FIGS. 1 and 2) whereupon the already accumulated snow is by the plow blade immediately dumped on the right side of the road and the plow blade will continue piling or dumping snow it encounters on the right side of the road as the truck proceeds further on the roadway. This procedure is repeated at every intersection to avdid dumping of snow thereinto, and this procedure could as easily be followed when the truck approaches and crosses a private driveway leading onto the roadway.

It will be noticed that the plate 22 will be on its movement into active position slice with its leading edge 70 into the confronting snow, wherefore this plate encounters relatively little resistance in its advance movement. This is of advantage in that malfunctioning or stalling of the plate 22 in its advance movement on encountering snow or near ice hardness will be avoided by a cylinder 44 of moderate cross-sectional size and operating fluid therefor under relatively low pressure, Insofar as the operating fluid for the cylinder 44 is concerned this may be liquid or air whichever is preferred, and may in some instances be derived from a source already available in the truck for another purpose.

In order to avoid excessive stresses in the guide for the plate 22 as well as to keep this guide within reasonable dimensions and from undue bulkiness despite the sometimes very heavy side thrust T of trapped snow in the snow pocket 24 against the plate 22 in its active position (FIG. 3), there is preferably provided a tie rod 72 which is with one end pivoted to the front end of the plate 22 as at 74, and has at its other end a floating pivot connection 76 with the plow blade 18. This floating pivot connection is in this instance formed by a slot 78 in the plow blade 18 through which the tie rod 72 extends, and an enlarged head 8% on the end of the tie rod immediately behind the plow blade (FIG. 3). The floating pivot connection 76 is such that it will not interfere with operational movement of the plate 22 into its active and inactive positions, but the tie rod '72 will in the active position of the plate 22 be at the end 82 of its floating pivot connection with the plow blade (FIG. 3), with the result that the tie rod will then transmit a good deal of the side thrust T against the plate 22 to the plow blade 18 so that particularly objectionable cocking forces by the plate 5 22 against its guideway in the support 26 are entirely eliminated.

The invention may be carried out in the other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a plow truck having a longitudinal axis, a front and opposite sides and a support with a guideway on one of said sides, and including a snow-plowing blade provided in front of the truck and said support and being inclined to deflect plowed snow off said blade to said one side, of a plate movable in said guideway for reciprocation in the direction of said axis into active and inactive positions, said plate being in any position in a substantially erect disposition and having clearance from the ground, with said plate projecting in its position forwardly of said blade to form therewith a V-like snow pocket open in forward direction to trap snow being plowed by said blade against escape to said one side, and being in its inactive position retracted behind said blade; means for reciprocating said plate; and a tie rod having at one end a pivot connection with said plate adjacent the forward end of the latter and having with its other end a pivot connection with said blade which is floatable within limits toward and from said plate to permit movement of the latter into its active and inactive positions, but said tie rod being in said active position of said plate at the limit of said floating pivot connection nearest said plate at which said tie rod locks said plate against any give under the side thrust of any trapped snow load in said snow pocket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,763,944 9/1956 Magee et al. 37-42 3,055,126 9/1962 Emhof 374-2 3,208,166 9/1965 Proulx 3742 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

EUGENE H. EICKHOLT, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 37-50 

